Daniela Negrette, Author at Creative Circle

Interviewer: Valaencia Thompson, Creative Circle Houston Account Executive
Interviewee: Ramsay McCoy, Creative Circle Houston Recruiter

Creative Circle is committed to supporting individuals with their career journeys. For creatives, that journey can be winding, and the next best step is often unclear. For creatives of color, this journey can be even more intimidating due to lack of access.

Creative Circle is working to bridge the access gap. Within our organization, we have Employee Resource Groups that are centered around creating safe spaces for often underrepresented or marginalized individuals. One of those ERGs is the Black Women of Creative Circle.

The Black Women of Creative Circle ERG and our DEI Committee are leading the charge on a collaboration with the Emma Bowen Foundation in 2022. The Emma Bowen Foundation is an organization that recruits students of color and places them in multi-year paid internships at some of the nation’s leading media, PR, and tech companies. The organization makes it so that these students can enter their careers with valuable training and experience. The Emma Bowen Foundation creates true leaders, and one of our very own Circlers is a proud alumna of the Emma Bowen Foundation.

Houston Lead Recruiter, Ramsay McCoy is a former Emma Bowen Fellow. After her involvement with the organization, Ramsay landed roles with various PR/media companies and beyond, and eventually that brought her to her current position at Creative Circle.

Check out this Q&A with Ramsay McCoy on her experience as an EBF Fellow.

Valaencia Thompson: How did you become a part of the Emma Bowen Foundation? Ramsay McCoy: My mom found the Foundation for me when I was a freshman in college. I was looking for scholarship opportunities and internships when she stumbled upon EBF. We were excited because it was specifically for people of color. It matched with what my degree was in, which is PR. I was one of the youngest people in my program at the time. The Emma Bowen Foundation ended up giving me a summer internship every summer while I was in college. I was paid and I had a scholarship. I was able to buy my first car because of the EBF. It gave me some independence.

Thomspon: Why do you feel like organizations like EBF are needed?
McCoy: I think that it is so hard for people of color in corporate America — especially women of color — because you are fighting with things like “if your name is spelled a different way,” you are often overlooked. This kind of bridges the gap and gives you an opportunity to be seen. You need organizations like this to give people opportunities to grow and learn.

Thomspon: What were some of your biggest takeaways being a part of the EBF?
McCoy: The organization gave me some really great hands-on experience.
The companies that work with EBF, they are coming to them because they want top caliber talent. Being a part of the organization allowed me to grow my skills and have the talent that companies were looking for.

Thomspon: What do you hope this collaboration with EBF and Creative Circle accomplishes?
McCoy: Creative Circle cares about their candidates and aligning them to opportunities that will serve them, and EBF does the same thing! I think it is important to connect organizations that are aligned. I want to see people from CC spread the word about EBF and see more people from EBF join the CC team. I want to see other recruiters that come from EBF, as well! Ultimately, I want to help make sure that this industry is open for all people.

Thomspon: What would you say to someone who is unsure of their career path? McCoy: You’re always going to be unsure at every phase of your life. Decisions are hard because we want to know the answer. You’re always going to be wondering, “Am I making the right move?” When you make a decision, make it with courage, and make it because that is what felt right in the moment. You don’t have to be one person the rest of your life! Starting at EBF, I knew nothing, not even what my degree was going to be. So, I chose journalism and got a degree in PR, but I did not know that going into it. EBF taught me, but it’s because I took a shot. I was taking a chance! The good Lord blessed me. It’s important to pull up the people that are next in line. We have to pay it forward.

2022 has arrived and with it, more pandemic-hued bedlam, coloring almost every aspect of our lives with Covid-colored crayons. As we continue to reckon with our new (pathogenic) normal, certain realities have only etched themselves deeper. You’ve heard this before, and we’re saying it again: The pandemic has disproportionately affected women. Their health, work, and economic well-being have been negatively impacted. Women in general are carrying more of the burden in terms of domestic responsibilities — remote schooling, housework, managing the health and wellness of their families, and more. A September 2021 McKinsey study found that mothers are now more than three times as likely as fathers to meet the majority of household and caregiving demands. “Other (industrialized) countries have social safety nets; the U.S. has women,” shared sociologist Jessica Calarco.

For many women, maintaining full-time careers while simultaneously handling all these pandemic extras has become, well… too much. Women in the Workplace is the most extensive study on the state of women in corporate America, based on data from 423 companies employing 12 million people. It found that the percentage of women considering leaving the workforce or slowing down their careers has grown since the pandemic started. Women feel more burned out now than they were a year ago, and burnout is considerably more prevalent among women than men. As of September 2021, one in three women were considering downshifting or stepping away from their career, compared to one in four who said this several months into the pandemic.

All this is cause for concern — but there is reason for hope. The good news? Many women who needed to step away from full-time roles have found a new path forward with freelance work, which may be a better fit for their pandemic-infused work/life balance. The gig economy may just revolutionize the future of work to benefit women in the long run.

Businesses are increasingly adopting flexible work arrangements, like fully remote and hybrid models — taking a page from the freelance playbook. And we are also witnessing the growth of the independent contractor workforce, which includes those who freelance or consult. A recent survey of 2,000 women — most of whom were primary caregivers for their families — found that 96% felt flexibility was the primary advantage of independent work. A quarter of these women had recently left traditional employment, mainly because they needed more flexibility or time to care for children, parents, or other relatives.

Here’s why freelance work is well-suited to women. Independent workers are unique in the type of work they produce compared to traditional 9-to-5 employees. Standard employees are enmeshed with teams and have more interactive communication and coordination and a deeper level of shared responsibilities. However, freelance or independent workers provide a more individualistic and discrete contribution — think proofreading, massage therapy, or tutoring. Women entrepreneurs rule the roost at Etsy, where a whopping 87% of the sellers are women.

Recent research by Liya Palagashvili, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, substantiates this thinking, finding that: “women self-select into independent work roles where greater autonomy defines the work, where the role allows for greater freedom to make decisions and structure activities, and where the workweeks are shorter — allowing for greater temporal flexibility.” Simply put, Palagashvili says, this type of “work extends opportunities to women who would otherwise be unable to take on employment.”

Women’s shift towards independent work has been brewing for some time. Overall participation in freelance work has grown since 2000, but growth among women has been significantly more robust than for men. Using the tax data of independent contractors, an IRS study found that between 2001 and 2016, women accounted for 55% of growth in independent contracting at a time when full-time employment rates for women were relatively flat. We may be looking at a broad-based structural shift in how American women engage work, one that is ramping up dramatically thanks to the pandemic.

While independent work prospects for women are growing, challenges remain. As the number of independent contractors grows, work policies need to evolve as well. A 2020 survey found that 80% of self-employed respondents want access to flexible or portable benefits that are not tethered to a specific job or employer. (Check out the benefits available to Creative Circle freelancers here.)

The future of work is now. Even companies with a primarily full-time workforce are heeding the call for flexibility. More than 75% of senior human resources leaders say that letting employees work flexible hours has improved employee well-being. Companies are embracing flexibility and WFH at levels that would have seemed impossible just a couple of years ago — and many are also offering freelance work to those who would prefer that model to full-time employment.

We have a rare opportunity to create more inclusive workplaces that take the reality of women’s lives into more focused and thoughtful account.

About the author.

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.

2021 saw huge and exciting developments, from the vaccine rollout to the biggest year yet for renewable energy to the most diverse Oscars batch ever. But as 2022 begins, it’s hard not to wonder where to go from here. We may not know what the future will hold, but we certainly can look to the past for some answers.

Here are some of the biggest moments and trends from 2021, and what they’ll mean for the year to come.

Blockchain

This year, cryptocurrencies and blockchain at large went mainstream, and will no doubt continue to create headlines next year. From Elon Musk’s notorious appearance on SNL resulting in Dogecoin plummeting to, well, Elon Musk being Time’s Person of the Year, cryptocurrencies are more alluring than ever before.

In September, El Salvador became the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, with other countries, particularly in the developing world, set to follow suit next year. But, blockchain tech creates immense carbon dioxide emissions, so 2022 will hopefully see more progress for creating renewable and environmentally sustainable methods.

NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, are works of digital art that, through blockchain tech, are verifiably owned. They may prove to be more than the expensive gimmick some have chalked it up to be! With more musicians and gamers seeing the value of NFTs as well as institutional auction houses like Christie’s getting into the game, NFTs could be here to say.

Hybrid working (and vacationing)

With the Great Resignation in full swing, employers are understanding that after a year of working at home, maybe desk workers aren’t jumping at the chance to return to the office. 2022 will most likely see more flexibility from employers when it comes to working from home, especially in light of continuing Covid variants. This will compel tech companies to help make the hybrid model work more seamlessly, allowing the work to meet the employee where they’re at.

On the other hand, being able to work from anywhere means being able to work from any vacation spot. This is known as “flexcation,” and while it can be really nice to be able to manage if your vacation days couldn’t line up with your kids’ school holidays, blurring the boundaries between work and vacation can get out of hand. Be careful!

Sustainability

From fashion brands embracing regenerative agriculture and even resale to the increased popularity of plant-based diets, sustainability continued growing in popularity in 2021 — nearly two years after the global youth climate protests that forced countries around the world to reckon with the realities of climate change.

2022 will see consumers making more eco-friendly choices, but it will also see larger-scale impacts like companies opting for carbon offsetting and renewable energy becoming more affordable in general (even as materials for things like solar panels become more expensive due to the supply chain disruptions, but more on that later).

The SuPpLy ChAin!

This year’s headlines have been dominated by the specter of the supply chain. That is, the vast and complex networks of manufacturing and shipping that get the goods you want to you. These disruptions and “shortages,” which came from shifting consumer behavior throughout the pandemic, are not going to disappear in 2022.

Things may be unpredictable and take longer to arrive, but some experts think things will get better later on in 2022. In the meantime, the severity of the disruptions have meant that manufacturing, production, and shipping industries, as well as governments, are scrambling to create better, more efficient, supply chain systems.

Mental Wellness

The last nearly two years have been grueling, and the impact will be unpacked for years to come. Living through so much turmoil has led to an increased interest in mental wellness that will continue into 2022. From digital mental wellness resources to employers understanding the importance of emotional wellbeing, mental health is finally being seen as the vital part of overall health that it is.

Even though it will be easier to access mental health resources, it’s still work to create a regimen that works for you, so be sure to take the time to take care of yourself.

What does productivity mean?

If 2020 was the year of the forced stop, 2021 was certainly the year of the forced return. Our relationships with work suffered, as seen in the Great Resignation, but also in other ways. 2022 will most likely see us really reflecting on what our work means and what productivity really means. Is productivity simply output, or is it input as well? What kind of work do we really want to be doing anyway?

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to leave 2021 behind and jump into 2022. We may not be able to prepare for everything, but we can certainly take what we’ve learned with us.

About the author.
Sam Mani writes about work, creativity, wellness, and equity — when she’s not cooking, binging television, or annoying her cat.

Merriam-Webster lives! This ultimate source for all things words has been around since 1828. Toward the beginning of every year, after an exhaustive vetting process, the lexicographers add words and definitions that made the cut. What’s the main factor behind the decision? They sum it up in one word (of course): “usage.” This means: “the editors study the language as it’s used. They carefully monitor which words people use most often and how they use them.”

In January 2021, the team introduced 520 words. A number of them trace their roots to the COVID-19 pandemic. These include:

Pod (noun): Mainly during the lockdown phases of the pandemic, some people formed their own pod. The word signifies a small group of family, friends, neighbors or others. The members bond together and agree to limit exposure to people outside of the pod to lower the risk of contracting and spreading the disease. Those in the pod might share responsibility for things like childcare, education, and meal prep, as well as dining and socializing together.

Wet market (noun): To understand this term, start by picturing a farmers’ market. Then expand that vision. These commercial centers sell fresh produce and other perishable goods. The list of items also tends to include live animals, which may be slaughtered right on the spot. Some experts speculate that unsafe conditions at wet markets may be the source of the coronavirus epidemic.

Here are some others from the class of January 2021:

Decarceration (noun): Think of this word at face value as the opposite of incarceration. It concerns the release of those who are in prison. But the term has broader implications too. In this context, decarceration is a practice or movement. The objective is to decrease the number of people sent to prison in the first place as well as develop channels to release those who are in custody.

Hygge (noun and adjective): From the Danish language, hygge is pronounced “hue-gah” or “hoo-guh.” In its noun form, it denotes a quality of coziness, which makes a person feel content and comfortable. As an adjective, it means cozy or comfortable. The word shot to prominence during the pandemic, as people sought to offset stress with pleasantries. What is an example of hygge in a sentence? “Grace, simplicity, and gratitude are the principles hygge practitioners adhere to for an abiding sense of well-being.”

Sapiosexual (adjective and noun): When it comes to romance, is high intelligence the number one factor that attracts you to someone? If so, you are sapiosexual.

The Next Batch of New Words in Town

The list did not stop with publication of the large infusion of new words in January. Merriam-Webster kept at it and added another set in October 2021. The pick of the litter includes:

Blank check company (noun): Do you tune in to CNBC on weekdays? If so, you hear about this and that SPAC, short for special purpose acquisition company. It’s another term for blank check company. They refer to a “corporate shell set up by investors for the sole purpose of raising money through an initial public offering (IPO) to acquire another business yet to be determined.” The largest blank check companies at the time of this writing include: Vertiv Holdings, Jaws Spitfire Acquisition Corp. and Tuscan Holdings Corp.

Dad bod (noun): Like it or not, this term denotes the physique of a stereotypical father. It’s a body type that is not particularly muscular or toned and a little pudgy in the mid-section. But fret not — it’s a hot new look today. A commentator on the Merriam-Webster site notes: “Even Hollywood latched onto the more attainable physique with actors sporting bodies that were not chiseled, not incredibly lean, and a little soft in the middle.” Welcome to the era of the dad bod.

Deplatform (verb): Another new word that starts with “de,” it has to do with removing someone from something. In this case, if signifies banishing a registered user from a communication medium (platform). Social media and blogging sites are the main channels. This action occurs because the person/group has violated the terms of service.

Digital nomad (noun): A perfect blend of “digital” and “nomad,” this term describes a person who works totally over the Internet (“digital”) while traveling (“nomad”). But there’s more to the second half. Such a person has no permanent fixed home address (the essence of a “nomad”). Investopedia adds some color to the term. “A digital nomad may work out of cafes, beaches or hotel rooms, and as they are not tied down to any one location.”

Fourth trimester (noun): This new catchphrase adds another three months to the standard nine-month gestation process. The fourth trimester is a challenging phase; it’s rife with adjustments for all involved. The mother recovers from giving birth and transitions into caring for her newborn during this postpartum period. The infant acclimates to life outside the womb. The fourth trimester is a trying time, when “women and their families experience substantial physiological, social, and emotional changes.”

Vaccine passport (noun): This new entry brings to mind an ad slogan from American Express, created many years back and recently revised. “Don’t leave home without it.” That’s the importance of a vaccine passport, hoisted into the spotlight by COVID-19. This physical or digital document shows proof of vaccination against one or several infectious diseases. New York was the first state to issue a vaccine passport—the Excelsior Pass. And you need to flash it or other proof to eat indoors at restaurants in NYC and enter health clubs and indoor entertainment venues.

Whataboutism (noun): This word comes from the fractious political scene today. It is a rhetorical device; it’s used by activists, advocates, commentators, elected officials, pundits, and spin doctors. This ploy is a way of responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by claiming an offense committed by another is similar or worse. Think of it as a derivative of one-upping. It deflects, side steps, and counteracts the root issue by drawing attention to another thing. Whataboutism aims to muddle, befuddle and, above all, obfuscate.

In and Out

With all of these new words coming into vogue, a question may occur. Does Merriam Webster ever remove words? Yes, but not nearly as many as it adds. Reader’s Digest explains. “Some words recently hit the chopping block in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary—meaning they’re no longer included in the print edition.” The examples provided include the following: frutescent, hodad, snollygoster, sternforemost and Vitamin G.

About the author.
You name it, she covers it. That’s the can-do attitude Sherry M. Adler brings to the craft of writing. A polished marketing and communications professional, she has a passion for learning and the world at large. She uses it plus the power of words to inform and energize stakeholders of all kinds. And to show how all of this can make a difference, she calls her business WriteResults NY, LLC.

To hire a full-time copywriter or not to hire? That is the question. To dispense with your external ad agency to bring on dedicated in-house copywriting talent or not? That’s another one. No matter which end you’re coming from — lack of copywriting resources or issues with outside support — here’s a short guide. These top nine markers shine the light on the decision to make.

Consider hiring a full-time copywriter if:

You spend too much time briefing and revising your agency’s work.

If you find yourself frequently discussing and modifying the work you receive from the group you use, it’s time to press the pause button. Rounds and rounds of dialogues, debates, and do-overs are dealbreakers. They violate the main motivations for having an agency in the first place. And they likely mean the agency doesn’t “get” it. Your wants and needs are not being met.

The outside team you use is not capturing your brand voice.

This may be among the issues contributing to your countless requests to go back to the drawing board. You’re looking for a consistent voice, tone, and style that reflect the distinctive essence of your brand. You seek that sparkle, something that captures the crux of why customers should choose your products and services. It should set the imaginations of potential targets afire and, soon after, get them to open their pocketbooks. This is critical. There’s a certain personality that should underscore all that’s put out about your brand in the universe.

Your competition is flourishing, and your business is not.

What your organization offers is special. If that is not resonating with stakeholders through your ad copy, a dreaded situation occurs. You fail to arouse awareness and lose share to others in the same segment. The market data says it all. If the numbers show your competition is surging while you are losing ground, you must examine your creative approach. Is your outside agency failing to nail it? Do you need to install a committed internal creative focal point?

You are failing to attract the right customer.

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the cash register ringing up a customer’s first-time purchase of your product or service. Keep listening. Uh oh, there’s silence — no further ka-ching, ka-ching. In sales, repetition is the pot of gold that builds the future. If those follow-ups do not happen, something is amiss. Your ad agency copy may be addressing the wrong kind of customer. For the desired long haul buying cycle to kick in, your messaging must resonate with the right buyers to pinpoint and stoke their wants and needs. An expert who knows the product and your organization thoroughly may be the way to go.

The copy you’re receiving is feeling stale.

Is your agency delivering the same old, same old? What happened to that initial spark? Poof, it’s sputtered. Then again, was it strong enough in the first place? All told, the copywriting content presented to you and maybe even the enthusiasm surrounding is played out. It requires a reset, a strong shot of innovation. You need a fresh pipeline of ideas and executions. Sometimes, the well runs dry. It’s time for a tune-up, which likely comes with finding a new source of inspiration — another agency or a full-time internal resource that works solely in the copywriting domain for you.

You are not receiving the attention you require.

External ad agencies, to survive and thrive, need a book of business. What’s the likelihood you are the only page? With numerous clients to cultivate and cater to, an agency has to divide its time and efforts. Despite the best of intentions, conflicts may arise in the amount of care and responsiveness they can devote. If you represent a major account, perhaps you get a larger share. If not, you may have to wait. The same thing may occur if you use shared resources internally for copywriting. In both cases, there is only so much that can go around at once.

You have several major campaigns on the horizon.

You are on the cusp of an exciting time. Your organization is set to launch a new line of products or services in the coming months. Supporting this requires intense focus, vested interest, and peak performance. If you’re lucky enough to have some time before you get started, you need to put A-1 copywriting resource(s) in place, stat. The talent for this assignment has an active role in the all-out development process. That means participation in strategy meetings, access to essential players/teams, and interaction with subject matter experts. This resource maintains a critical role in the project and the workflow and close collaboration with you.

You want to embrace content marketing but don’t have the wherewithal.

It’s time to roll out a full-fledged strategy to enhance your brand and marketing clout. You not only want to create but also share content across channels. It’s no longer efficient and effective to put out individual snippets. The way forward is to mobilize and coordinate. Combine the best of your thought leadership, blogs, social media posts, videos, and internal/external content into an overall approach. This initiative has many moving pieces and contributors. The copywriter must work across the organization to bring this activity to life from the inside out and follow up with measuring and optimizing it.

Your copywriting is done by those with other full-time responsibilities or a freelancer.

The split resources model works at many times and in many situations. But not always! Your copywriting needs have expanded. For a while, the existing in-house hybrid team with a multiplicity of roles fulfilled your needs. But things have changed. This arrangement lacks the concentrated focus needed to meet your robust agenda. These require fast access, action, expertise, and turnaround. Clearly, it’s a job for full-time copywriting talent. Alternatively, you may have engaged freelancers. That too may have worked for some time. But it evolved into a revolving door of workers or part-timers. A top performer who can stay the course, live and breathe your brand, and grow with the business fits best.

Benefits of a Full-Time Copywriter

Dedicated time and attention from the person you choose and personally vet for the role
Deep understanding and interest of your organization and brand
They’ll have immediate access to and interaction with a range of resources and stakeholders, including you. This talent is on the spot to participate in meetings and informal brainstorming sessions. He/she learns about new offerings in real time as well as changes in strategy/tactics.

How to Find the Best Fit

If you are in a niche business or specialized segment, seek someone with direct background in that field. Why? This person comes equipped with industry knowledge and experience right from the starting gate; a bonus is that this copywriter is familiar with the competition.

It’s likely that the employee in this position will have to wear several hats. For this reason, consider someone with a broad mix of skills. Straight ad copy? Yes, that’s imperative. But it’s just the foundation — add to it. Does this person have expertise in blogging, thought leadership, social media, website content, videos, results measurement, and optimization? Build a checklist based on your requirements.

One Model of Many

In the realm of copywriting arrangements for businesses, it doesn’t have to be a case of one way or the other. Needs evolve over time and how you obtain copywriting talent may change too. Alternatively, you may require an approach that combines the best of both worlds. For example, some organizations with the means employ a dedicated internal resource as a base of operations. They also contract with an external ag agency for specific tasks or campaigns.

Your Audible Business Card

“Voices are important things for humans,” says the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a branch of the National Institutes of Health. Why? “They are the medium through which we do a lot of communicating with the outside world: our ideas, of course, and also our emotions and our personality. The voice is the very emblem of the speaker, indelibly wove into the fabric of speech.”

Your voice is the channel that holds the key to your authority…or not.

A post on “Credibility — Why Your Voice Matters” starts with a quote from the poet Maya Angelou: “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” The post then elaborates upon this notion. “Ensuring your vocal quality matches your presence is key to establishing your credibility. A disconnect between the two can be perceived as inauthentic and false.”

The Litmus Test

Let’s define terms. Voice is “the sound produced in a person’s larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song.” The quality of a person’s voice is a factor in the business world. What exactly does “voice quality” mean? “It is the characteristic auditory coloring of an individual’s voice…, derived from a variety of …features and running continuously through the individual’s speech. The distinctive tone of speech sounds produced by a particular person yields a particular voice.”

Do you think you know the tone and quality of your voice? Think again. Here’s why. When you speak, “you’re hearing a distorted version of your voice all the time.” In other words, what you hear is not what others get. Since that’s the case, how can you ascertain what others hear when you speak? The voice actor quoted here offers an easy solution. He demonstrates it on TikTok in a clip that has attracted 3.2 million views and counting.

Open your hands and hold them flat in front of you facing one another. Then place each one on the sides of your head from your ears down to your jawbone. Then speak. Listen carefully because “this is what you sound like to other people,” he notes.

There’s another way is to discover your real voice. Record it. Then play it back. Who’s that speaking? You may not even recognize the voice as your own.

Optimizing Your Voice

How about putting in a little work on your own to make the best of what you have? It’s the path to a big payoff. Gilda Carle, Ph.D., AKA Dr. Gilda, shows you the way. “As the adage goes” she says, “it is not so much what you say but how you say it. Each one of us has a unique vocal quality that we can project to define our power.” Her latest book, Amplify Your Media Presence, Amplify Your Brand, addresses this issue.

In the chapter on “Your Voice of Choice,” she notes how voice contributes to our self-identity and to how others perceive us. “The vocal impact we make on others consists of the rate at which we speak, our pitch, our rhythm, our volume, and our use of pauses. Our vocal tones account for 38% of the impression we make when we are face-to-face with a listener, and 78% of our impact when we are on the telephone or any audio device.”

What’s the key to improving how our voice comes across? Three words: proper breath control.

Deep breathing does wonders for our voice. Singers and athletes use this technique. Example: the R&B/hip hop singer Usher used to work out hard on a treadmill before tackling a difficult tune. Makes sense. It increases the intake of oxygen and leads to strengthened breath control. Dr. Gilda says, “The deeper we breathe in, the more force, or louder, we can project our voice.”

How do we achieve this?

Practice Speaking Wearing a Surgical Mask

Go into your pandemic-related stash and put on a mask. Now speak through it; recite a passage of some kind. Talking through a mask improves the vocal sounds you make; it forces you to dig deeper and articulate using more than your lower throat. “Mask voice production opens your voice, improves its range, gives it warmth and richness, fills it with expression, and projects your vocal power,” explains Dr. Gilda.

Breathe from Your Diaphragm

Most of us breathe through our chest rather than from our diaphragm. Changing this pattern to breathe via our midsection turbocharges our voice. Diaphragm breathing supplies a larger volume of air; it not only projects our voice but also imparts a pleasing tone. It takes effort to develop this capacity and seems unnatural at first. Here’s how:

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your diaphragm.

Breathe in at a ratio of 7 to 1.

Inhale through your nose for 7 counts; hold your breath for 1 count.

Then exhale through your mouth for 7 counts, moving your diaphragm not chest.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Check you’re doing this correctly. Place your hands on your abdomen with your fingers pointing together; as you inhale, push out against your hands with your lower ribs and abdomen; then, as you exhale, ensure the abdomen contracts.

Now, speak when you’re breathing this way. Your stomach should move in smoothly and gradually. If your upper chest moves up and down, go back to the beginning and try again.

For an additional perspective, see “How Breathing Can Improve Your Voice.”

Find and Use Your Proper Pitch

Is your pitch high or low? Inquiring minds intent on improving their voice should not focus on this aspect but rather on “proper pitch.” Proper pitch is the one that’s just right for you. It’s your own personal formula, the point where your vocal carrying power, smooth tone, and comfort come together. These vocal exercises point the way:

Raise your arms above your head.

Close your lips and say, “Um, hum, one; um, hum two; um, hum three.” Go to 10.

Ensure your pitch of the number is at the same level as your “Um, hum”

Check that your nose and lips are humming and resonating.

Got it? Your proper pitch is the sound of the “Um, hum.” Now work it! Use that pitch to say: “Good morning,” “My name is ______.” Next, repeat these energy words: “Hello, “really,” “beautiful,” “right,” “ready,” “no,” “go,” “do.” Word of caution from Dr. Gilda: “You may feel dizzy at first after performing these exercises. This is a temporary condition caused by excessive oxygen intake. The dizziness will pass quickly.” The reward? Imbuing your voice with strength and assertiveness.

Other Tips

WikiHow

There is lots of information online on ways to maximize your voice. WikiHow is a great source for many things voice, such as “4 Ways to Improve Your Voice,” “How to Improve the Quality of Your Voice” and “How to Improve Your Speaking Voice.” Check these and others out.

Toastmasters International

This longstanding organization asks: “Do you want to practice public speaking, improve your communication and build leadership skills? With Toastmasters you can break barriers.” Look for a chapter near you and get ready to share your voice and experiences with others.

Closing Thoughts

“We use our voice to communicate who we are and what we think,” says Dr. Gilda. “But it also determines how others treat us. Simply, a weak, poorly projected voice corrupts our communication and the impression we make.”

What’s the moral of this story? Be aware of the power your voice carries; then harness its potential. Go for it!

Looking for a new opportunity? You know that writing a first-rate resume is one of the most important parts of landing your dream job. But the game has changed — what was once an eye-catching res may no longer make the cut. Say hello to a recently developed job hunt roadblock: parsing tools.

To streamline the hiring process, many companies are now using technology to “parse” resumes. To parse something means to extract the key components from a sequence of words. It typically applies to the act of reading text and then analyzing and converting that text into something a computer can comprehend. Resume parsers automatically extract, analyze, and store resume data to then be categorized, coded, sorted, and searched via an automated process to assist the hiring manager or recruiter.

Resume parsing software offers companies an efficient way to find salient skills, keywords, experience, contact information, educational background, professional certifications, and more that correlate to a specific opportunity. Hiring managers and recruiters use resume parsers to sort through large quantities of applications and identify the cream of the applicant crop. By filtering out resumes that don’t have the necessary information, parsing software saves countless hours that it would otherwise take to read through each individual application manually.

While the best parsing technology can convert hours of labor into seconds, the task of interpreting language and gleaning information can be difficult to get right. Here’s why: language is both deeply diverse and ambiguous. For example, there are many ways to write down a date — 8 September 2021 or September 8, 2021, or 8/9/21 or 09/08/2021. And, the same word can mean different things in different contexts.

This means you need to craft your resume in a way that will help get you noticed by playing to how the software works. Here’s the skinny on upping your resume game and creating the most parsing tool friendly version:

Brevity wins the day.

Be brief and to the point — think bullets over explanatory paragraphs. Keeping it short and sweet can be a challenge; rise to it.

Keep the style, text, and font SIMPLE.

Make sure to include your name in the file name of your resume
Submit your resume in a .docx format for maximum parsing compatibility
If you send a PDF version of your resume, export it from the MS Word doc — DO NOT scan an image and save it as a PDF.
Nix headers and footers.
Don’t mess with spacing.
Use a standard font throughout the entire document.

No infographics

Don’t include tables and columns.
Steer clear of WordArt.
No blocks of images for vital information — use actual words.

Basic is best.

Use simple names for resume sections. i.e., “Professional Summary,” “Work Experience,” “Education,” and so on.
Job titles like Happiness Manager or Fullstack Magician may sound cool — and indeed be your actual title — but won’t pass muster with parsing tools because parsing software rarely looks for keywords like “happiness” or “magician.” If you have a unique title, consider changing it to a more common one that will more successfully translate across organizations and have a better chance of being included in a parsing software search.

Keep acronyms to a minimum.

Only use standard abbreviations, like VP, CEO, MS, and MBA. If it’s not common, parsers won’t be looking for it.

Time matters.

Keep your resume in chronological order.
Use full dates — the trifecta of month, day, year.

Content is queen! Keywords are king!

Research the role and cross-reference skills that carry through your past jobs and the one you are applying to.
Strong keywords win the race. Glean skills, keywords, and descriptions from similar job descriptions and even other resumes.

Skills, skills, skills!

Job titles matter, but skills are essential. List both in your job description. Parsing software uses context to determine your strongest skills versus something with which you are just nominally familiar.
A parser often ranks a candidate’s skill levels by the position on a page and how often the skill or keyword is used — if there is something you want to emphasize, include it more than once.

Elaborate on your education.

List your formal education, along with any courses you may have taken that are pertinent. As well, list relevant coursework from MOOCs — massive open online courses — like those from Coursera, edX, Udacity, and major universities. Demonstrating your interest in furthering your knowledge on a subject illustrates your drive and wherewithal to apply yourself to advancing your knowledge.

Advertise accolades, achievements, and awards.

Announce your achievements — for example: if you increased sales, back it up with a quantifiable number or year-over-year percentage.
List key projects and the role you had in each, highlighting the results your efforts played in the project’s success.
Note any awards you’ve received.
Make a note of any memberships or affiliations which are meaningful to your career path.

Spell check.

Then spell check again.

Don’t try to game the system.

A last piece of advice — don’t try to game the system. While repetition of relevant skills and keywords is important, don’t try to “outsmart” the software by “white lettering” skills and keywords (repeating salient skills and keywords multiple times in the margins in white text, making them invisible to the human eye). Top parsing software is too smart for that and will detect the cheat and may ding you for it, tossing your resume in the no pile as a result.

Change is the only constant — what worked yesterday won’t necessarily get you that dream job today. With just a few tweaks, you can optimize your resume to make it smoothly past the first gate and get you well on your way to that ace opportunity. Good luck!

About the author

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist — Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms — including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.